Rashida NAKALEMBE

Rashida is the first born of five children who suffered the devastating loss of both her parents 6 years ago. Before the death of her parents she lived a happy life with her family supporting her in her educational and social development. Since then she has been supported by her grandmother with other relatives sharing the caring responsibilities of her siblings.

Her grandmother was able to support Rashida through her primary education which she completed in 2015; but since then has been unable to support her further in education. To meet her basic needs Rashida and her grandmother have been doing peasantry agriculture, rearing pigs and growing coffee while they looked for funds to support Rashida, which led them to Uganda Creates and a VTS scholarship in tailoring

“There is ready market after I finish school in my local area, with only a few local tailors who make Gomesi (tradition Kiganda wear). My grandmother and her friends take their fabric to a neighbouring town to be fixed so I feel I need to address that gap and bring the service closer to my community.

My dream is to teach the skills I learn to my friends, who have not got the opportunity that I have to go to a vocational school.”